Documentary, History
Southern California’s Coachella Valley, including the communities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, boasts hundreds of extraordinary midcentury modern homes, public buildings and commercial structures. Modern designers such as William F. Cody, Albert Frey, William Krisel, John Lautner, Richard Neutra, R.M. Schindler, Donald Wexler, E. Stewart Williams left their collective mark on this desert paradise. Desert Utopia: Mid-Century Architecture in Palm Springs traces the history of modern architecture in Palm Springs from the first bold forays into modernist design to the preservation challenges facing the region today. Director Jake Gorst’s film features rare archival images and footage as well as interviews with historians, homeowners and the architects who helped create this mecca of modernism.
MOVIE COMMENTS
SIMILAR MOVIES
From the West
California Winter
The Importance of Being an Architect
The Beach Boys - California Surfin
Wattstax
Rize
Diller Scofidio + Renfro: Reimagining Lincoln Center and the High Line
Operation: Jane Walk
Riding Giants
Ed Wood
Talking Architecture, City: Hall
Kwai Shing West Estate
The Boys & Girls Guide to Getting Down
Notre-Dame de la Garde: Basilique hors norme
Helvetica
Kaplnka svätej Barbory
The Fall
David Macaulay: Pyramid
If You Build It
These Four Walls
SIMILAR MOVIES
From the West
IMDB 0 | Apr , 2016
A film essay investigating the question of what “the West” means beyond the cardinal direction: a model of society inscribed itself in the Federal Republic of Germany’s postwar history and architecture. The narrator shifts among reflections on modern architecture and property relations, detailed scenes from childhood, and a passed-down memory of a “hemmed-in West Germany,” recalling the years of her parents’ membership in a 1970s communist splinter group.California Winter
IMDB 10 | Dec , 2015
Young real estate agent Clara Morales encouraged risky loans to her clients during the housing boom. She must now rescue her father’s home from foreclosure - a consequence of the loan she advised him to take.The Importance of Being an Architect
IMDB 7 | Feb , 2022
A documentary film conceived as a virtual dialogue and musical journey in four acts, which investigates the responsibility of architects in building the society of tomorrow.The Beach Boys - California Surfin
IMDB 0 | Jan , 2004
Wattstax
IMDB 6.8 | Feb , 1973
A documentary film about the Afro-American Woodstock concert held in Los Angeles seven years after the Watts riots. Director Mel Stuart mixes footage from the concert with footage of the living conditions in the current-day Watts neighborhood.Rize
IMDB 6.6 | Jan , 2005
A documentary film that highlights two street derived dance styles, Clowning and Krumping, that came out of the low income neighborhoods of L.A.. Director David LaChapelle interviews each dance crew about how their unique dances evolved. A new and positive activity away from the drugs, guns, and gangs that ruled their neighborhood. A raw film about a growing sub-culture movements in America.Diller Scofidio + Renfro: Reimagining Lincoln Center and the High Line
IMDB 0 | Nov , 2013
Diller Scofidio + Renfro has long been at the forefront of design with provocative exhibitions that blurred the boundaries between art and architecture. This film captures their extraordinary evolution and unique process in reimagining the public identities of Lincoln Center and the once derelict High Line railroad tracks.Operation: Jane Walk
IMDB 4 | Mar , 2018
The war zone of a dystopian multiplayer shooting game is used to embark some urban explorers on a winter walk, avoiding the combats whenever possible, as peaceful observers, inhabitants of a digital world, which is a detailed replica of Midtown Manhattan.Riding Giants
IMDB 7.6 | Jul , 2004
Riding Giants is story about big wave surfers who have become heroes and legends in their sport. Directed by the skateboard guru Stacy Peralta.Ed Wood
IMDB 7.5 | Sep , 1994
The mostly true story of the legendary "worst director of all time", who, with the help of his strange friends, filmed countless B-movies without ever becoming famous or successful.Talking Architecture, City: Hall
IMDB 7.5 | Oct , 2013
A documentary film about Seoul City Hall Construction. The construction project has a hard going in every way. A city plan, excessive administrative notions, a design and all got mingled up. Can the project sail, yes?Kwai Shing West Estate
IMDB 0 | Nov , 2021
A homage to the social housing architecture that is so atypical of Hong Kong - especially the Kwai Shing West Estate. About half of the population lives in such building complexes, where one experiences a strong sense of loneliness. The neighborhoods are the scene of modern living conditions, but also of social protests, which have been punishable by life imprisonment in Hong Kong since 2020 due to a new law.The Boys & Girls Guide to Getting Down
IMDB 6 | Mar , 2007
Tongue-in-cheek look at 20-something singles clubbing and partying in L.A. Voice-over narration, charts and graphs, and visits to a research laboratory punctuate the story of a single night when groups of friends go out, drink alcohol, take drugs, dance and talk, and look for someone to go home with.Notre-Dame de la Garde: Basilique hors norme
IMDB 7 | Sep , 2021
Helvetica
IMDB 7.2 | Sep , 2007
Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.Kaplnka svätej Barbory
IMDB 0 | Jan , 1995
The Fall
IMDB 8.6 | Jul , 2016
The Fall tells the remarkable story of a South African barefoot runner, an American track-and-field prodigy, and the events behind one of the most memorable moments in sporting history – the 1984 LA Olympics. The film charts two journeys, from rural South Africa under apartheid and the rolling hills of Southern California, to the starting line of the women’s 3,000 metres. It uncovers a tale of betrayal and exploitation, of the blurred lines between politics, media and sport, and of the dedication and sacrifice required to compete at the highest level. It’s a story that split governments and divided nations, but at its heart is a tale of two young women who, despite the turmoil in their lives, just wanted to run.David Macaulay: Pyramid
IMDB 0 | Jan , 1989
How did ancient Egyptians build the Great Pyramid at Giza, joining two million blocks of heavy stone with amazing precision? Who were the leaders who built these enormous structures, and what did these tombs signify? Host David Macaulay explores the history, mythology, and religions of Egypt's people, combining live footage and animation. Take a rare look at the mummy of Ramses II and buried treasure in the sacred Valley of the Kings.If You Build It
IMDB 7 | Apr , 2013
A year in the life of one of America's most innovative classrooms where students design & build to transform their hometown community. The film follows Emily Pilloton and Matt Miller as they teach the fundamentals of design, architecture and construction to a class of high school juniors in rural North Carolina.These Four Walls
IMDB 0 | Dec , 2023
A short documentary that takes a look at Pratt Institute's Architecture program and how the first years handle the rigorous workload.